The game of bridge involves bidding by each player in turn until a final bid is accepted and the hand is played. A means to display the sequence of bids is important so that each player retains his or her conception of the cards held by the other players and so that no oral commentary is needed to clarify or reiterate one or more bids. In contract bridge it is also necessary that the bids be silent so as not to include voice inflections that may convey more meaning than the bid itself and so as not to interfere with the concentration of the players at the other tables. A number of devices have been developed to display the bids and to completely eliminate oral communication during games of bridge.
A bridge bidding board was disclosed by Searle in U.S. Pat. No. 1,656,993, which contained a series of boxes in a grid of five columns and seven rows. Each column represented one of the card suits and no trump while the rows were numbered in sequence, 1 through 7. Each of the boxes had a hole for a peg, and there were different pegs for each player. The players inserted their pegs in the appropriate boxes to indicate their bids. A separate row of boxes was reserved for recording passes. One peg was used to indicate "double" while a second peg was inserted into the first for "redouble". A score sheet was affixed to the board. This system was quite cumbersome. The board would have to be passed from player to player for each player to mark his or her bid. The pegs could easily be placed in the wrong positions and could become dislodged as the board was passed around the table. The correct numbers and types pegs had to be maintained and kept with each board.
Krantz, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,029,928 disclosed a game board or table designed specifically for the game of bridge. The board consisted of two layers. Mechanical levers and wheels were located between the layers and were used to record and exhibit the bidding which was displayed through windows in the upper layer. The board accommodated four players, each having access to four finger pieces controlling the levers and wheels. The board was also equipped with a snap acting device that made an audible sound each time a setting was changed. This device was clumsy and difficult to transport and store. The audible sound made it impractical for use in contract bridge where quiet and lack of distractions are essential.
Another game board, that rested on top of a card table, was developed by Hill (U.S. Pat. No. 2,180,873). The board was made of cardboard and hinged so that it could be folded down the middle for storage. Two rows of depressions were located in front of each player. The first row had seven depressions for bidding and the second row four depressions which were marked `original bid` for the introduction of a new suit. Each player had a number of markers for indicating each suit and no trump. The markers were stored in depressions at the side of the player. A score sheet was also provided. Though this board could be folded, the markers would have to be removed to a container or they would become dislodged during the folding and lost when the board was moved. Maintaining a number of such boards and setting them up with all of the markers in their proper depressions required considerable time and would not be practical for large groups playing contract bridge.
An electronic bridge bidding device consisting of four consoles connected to four individual display boards or to one central display board was disclosed by Berger in U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,526. The consoles and display boards could be built into a table or constructed as separate portable units. Each console was shielded so that it could only be seen by the player using it. A bid was displayed on the display board when it was entered on a player's console. Each console had a reset button to clear a bid before the next bid was entered. The central display board could be constructed to show the current individual bid or to display all bids for a given hand. The consoles and display boards had indicia that permitted recording all bids for the four suits, and no trump, as well as pass, double and redouble. Electric bulbs behind the panels were lighted to indicate each bid. All of the consoles had to be wired to the display board or boards and when all were part of a table the table could only be used for games of bridge. The units were not easy to store and transport due to their size, configuration and to the necessary connecting wires. If portable units were used the connecting wires would extend across the table and get in the way of the playing surface. There was no way for a player to correct a bid made in error since the bids showed up on the display board as they were entered on the console.
Mattos, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,764, disclosed a single frame portable electronic unit containing both a bidding section and a display section that recorded all of the bids during a given hand. The frame also had storage room for two decks of cards. Indicia were present to record every possible bid and to display the bids sequentially and by player. If one player or observer was to record the bids they would have to be tendered orally, if not, the frame would have to be passed from player to player so that each could enter his or her bid in turn. Since oral bidding is not permitted during contract bridge, the passing of this unit from player to player would be distracting and undesirable.
There is a need for a simple, small portable unit that can be used to enter and display the bids of each player, that can remain in front of each player throughout the game, and that can easily be stored and transported. There is a need for such a unit having a display panel that can be observed by all players so that the bidding can be reviewed as it progresses and then can be cleared when the hand is played. There is a need for a small, compact unit that takes up little room on the table and has no wires to interfere with the playing surface.